'Mountain Man' jailed on drug charges released

By the Associated Press | September 15, 2011 | 12:25 AM EDT

BOULDER, Mont. (AP) — One of the self-described "mountain men" convicted of abducting former world-class biathlete Kari Swenson in Montana in 1984 has been released from jail on unrelated drug charges.

The Montana Standard (http://bit.ly/cOj23t) reports 46-year-old Dan Nichols posted $10,000 bail last week and was released from the Jefferson County jail. He has denied several drug charges after his arrest at a concert near Three Forks on Aug. 13 when deputies say they smelled marijuana and saw what appeared to be a drug deal.

In 1984, Nichols and his father, Don Nichols, held then-22-year-old Swenson captive for more than 18 hours before disappearing for several months. Dan Nichols was paroled in 1991 after serving time for shooting Swenson, who survived the wound to her chest.

Don Nichols was convicted of killing Swenson's would-be rescuer and is still in prison.